Jacked - The Complete Series Box Set (A Lumberjack Neighbor Romance)

by Claire Adams

  Copyright © 2017 Claire Adams

  Chapter One

  Eryn

  The tension in the air was almost tangible. Everyone's nerves were on edge, everyone's breath was held, and my team was collectively hanging in the balance. After four hard-fought rounds, it had come down to this one play. The games were tied up at two apiece, and we stood at the ready to defend our one-point lead. At 14 to 13, this could be the deciding play. If we took this point, we'd take the game and the match.

  Our opponent, however, had the serve. I was positioned at the net on the left: my favorite position. I watched the serve come in, waited for it to be received – which it successfully was – and then sent back over the net.

  Over the net…and right in the direction of their two best players, Kelly and Tammy. They always worked as a pair, and I could see the setup for a spike coming from a mile away. I dashed in fast and low, correctly anticipating the spike, and managed to block it with a low dive. In the process, I set it up for a perfect counter-spike, which my best friend Leena smashed with almost poetic perfection.

  The ball zipped between two players and bounced just inside the line. We had the point.

  My team let out a cheer of victory, and we all rushed in to hug each other. I gripped Leena tightly, smiling and basking in the joy of our victory.

  “That was a perfect block!” she exclaimed. “How did you see that spike coming?”

  I shrugged as I detached myself from our embrace. “K and T weren't exactly subtle with their movements. I saw it coming.”

  “Really? ‘Cause, I didn't.”

  I glanced across and saw the pair of them glaring daggers at me. They were clearly not happy about the fact that I'd ruined what they had thought was a perfect setup maneuver. I couldn't understand why they were so mad, though. It was just practice, wasn't it?

  The harsh blast of a whistle jolted me from my thoughts.

  “All right, ladies, gather round! Before y’all hit the showers, I just want to tell you about this coach situation.”

  My practice team, the second string, mingled with the team of starters we had been playing against and gathered around Coach Hatting. Coach Hatting had temporarily come out of retirement to coach us over the past few weeks while the powers that be searched for a new coach. His small, blue eyes swept across the crowd of young women in front of him while he chewed gum, causing his square, stubble-covered jaw to move back and forth like a bull's and crinkle the heavy wrinkles around his eyes.

  “Now, as y’all know, today was my last practice with you ladies. I'm too old for this, gosh darn it. And as much as I love the game, I've got a beach house that needs fixing and a fishing boat that ain't seeing nearly enough use. I only came out of retirement because of the incident involving your previous coach, but we ain't gonna speak about that now. Water under the bridge.

  “You all did well today – and some of you did exceptionally well.” A rush of nerves washed over me as his eyes met mine.

  “Miss Barnett,” he said to me, “only God knows why you haven't been on the starting lineup the last two years, but if I had been the coach during your time here, you'd have been a starter for every single game.”

  I couldn't help but blush and feel a gush of pride – and sadness at the same time. Coach Hatting was right. For three preseasons, I'd worked my butt off, but had never been picked for the starting lineup. The team all had theories as to why that was, but of course, we couldn't say anything – not until the allegations against our former coach had been proven.

  “Anyways, Miss Barnett, I'll be speaking to the new coach about you and giving him a strong recommendation that you be included in the lineup. And you as well, Miss Sykes,” he said, looking now at Leena.

  “As for the rest of you, some of those who have been consistently placed on the starting line…well, I have to be honest. If it were up to me, some of you would be warming benches. I'll be speaking to the new coach about that, too, mark my words.”

  Leena and I both discreetly glanced across at Tammy and Kelly. Their faces reddened with what I was certain to be both embarrassment and rage. Both had been starters since our freshman year, regardless of their performance. Now for the first time, the certainty that they would simply make the starting lineup without putting in any effort wasn’t as secure as they might have thought, and the looks on their faces said they didn't like it – not one bit.

  “Before I say my farewells,” Coach Hatting continued, “let me tell you a bit about the new coach. First up, he's a lot younger than I am – and I'd say a sight better looking, too, so you young ladies better keep your eyes on the ball and not the piece of eye candy that's coming in!”

  We all laughed, and Coach Hatting chuckled at his own joke. Despite his often harsh attitude on the court, he had a soft heart underneath it all.

  “The new coach’s name hasn’t been announced to the press yet. The board wanted you ladies to hear it first. But, it will be public knowledge later this evening. His name is Wade Vinson. I'm sure most of you have heard of him.”

  A ripple of hushed whispers rolled through the gathered volleyball players, and I knew exactly why.

  Wade Vinson was something of a celebrity, not only in the volleyball world, but in the gossip magazines and tabloids, as well. He'd recently split from a two-year relationship with Hollywood A-list actress Georgia Jackson amidst a storm of controversy and rumors. It had been all over the press and social media a few months back.

  “As y’all know, Mr. Vinson is an ex-pro and won Olympic gold, so he knows his stuff. And, y’all know how he helped coach the UCLA men's team to a top spot two years in a row, so we're really hoping he can do the same for you.

  “Also, he happens to be a graduate of this very university, though I’m sure some of you know that, too. He and his teammates put Florida State University on the map in the volleyball world. I should know, I coached him back in the day when he was a rising star here. And I can tell you, the man has skills on the volleyball court!

  “Anyways, he'll be here on Monday to start practices. I wish you young ladies all the best. There's some fantastic potential, some amazing talent right here in front of me, and I sure do hope that Mr. Vinson puts his all into developing it as best he can. As for me – that's all for now, folks. It's been a good – if tiring – few weeks.”

  “Thank you, Coach Hatting!” many of us shouted together.

  He smiled, and I almost thought I caught sight of tears sparkling in his eyes as he waved goodbye to us. Then, he turned around and shuffled off. The girls started to disperse, picking up water bottles, towels, and gym bags, and heading to the locker room to hit the showers.

  Leena and I gathered our things and talked on the way to the showers.

  “I'm actually kinda sad to see Coach Hatting go,” I confided. “He's been so good, and I’ve learned a few things from him. Not to mention, he’s so fair.”

  “Yeah, he's really great,” replied Leena, “but how cool is it that Wade freakin' Vinson is coming to coach us! Like, oh my God! Not only is he a gold medalist and former pro, but he's super hot, too.”

  She giggled, and I leaned into her shoulder with mine playfully.

  “Come on, Leena, don't be ridiculous.”

  “What? You don't think he's just gorgeous?”

  I rolled my eyes. “All right, he's pretty damn good looking. But from what I hear, he's a bit of a douchebag, and you know with all this Hollywood gossip stuff and him being involved in those kind of circles, the odds are those rumors are likely true. And jeez, what are we even doing talking about him like that! I mean, he's like 30-something. Seriously. I'm 21, you're 20. He's old!”

  “Hey, 32 isn't that much older than us, Eryn,” countered Leena. “Hell, I'd do him.”

  I gasped with mock shock. “Noooo, Leena! You slut!” I joked, and we both laughed.

  “Yep, that’s me. Leena the slut. But in all seriousness,” she said, “I think it'll be a good thing. I mean, you heard what Coach Hatti
ng just said. He's gonna recommend us as starters to Vinson when he talks to him! We've both been dreaming of this and working our asses off for it for so long now. Especially you, with all the extra practices and workouts you put in.”

  I nodded. “It's definitely been a long time coming. But you know what they say about hard work – it does pay off in the end. And hopefully, it's about to pay off for us in a big way.”

  “Yeah, now that we no longer have a coach who chooses who's in the starting lineup based on how big a bribe her parents paid him.”

  I shook my head. It still pissed me off to think about it. “Do you really think those rumors about Coach Edwards are true?”

  “Are you kidding?” she replied. “They have to be. Why else would you have been a benchwarmer the last two seasons when you're clearly one of the best players – if not the best player – on the team?”

  I blushed, a bit embarrassed by Leena's praise. “C'mon, I'm not the best player on the team.”

  “Like hell you're not! Quit being so modest. I mean seriously, you are here on a volleyball scholarship. That makes it even more criminal that you haven't been part of the starting lineup!”

  “It does look like that might change now, though,” I replied with a smile.

  “Yes, it does! Things seem to be changing for sure.”

  I was about to respond when I heard my phone ringing in my gym bag. “Hold that thought, Lee, let me see who this is.”

  I reached into my bag and grabbed my phone. When I looked at the screen, I shook my head as a flood of emotions rushed through me, none of them good.

  When Leena saw my expression change, she glanced down at the screen and quickly snatched the phone away from me before I could answer it; she rejected the call, sending it straight to voicemail.

  “Tim is a grade-A asshat,” she said, shaking her head. “I can't believe that cheating douche is still trying to call you.”

  “I wasn't gonna talk him,” I replied.

  “Good. He doesn't deserve a single second of your time. He already wasted two semesters of it with his lies and cheating. Why is he trying to call you and message you all the time, anyway? I mean, it only started up around a week ago, right?”

  “He broke up with Ma-”

  “'The Whore,' Eryn, 'The Whore,'” Leena interrupted me. “I thought we'd agreed on calling her by her correct name, ‘cause that's what she is.”

  “Well, whatever you wanna call her, they broke up. She dumped him-”

  “Oh, and now he thinks he can just waltz right back into your life, huh? Hell, no. HELL to the no.”

  “Don't worry, Lee. Like I said, I'm not gonna talk to him. It's over, and it's been over for a long time.”

  “I hope so, Eryn. You know how much of a jerk he is. Even if you did love him, don’t forget how he had you fooled for so long. And, don't let your heart deceive your head – it was lies, not love, even if you really want to believe otherwise.”

  “I know, I know.” We walked in silence until we reached the showers.

  “All right, let's get cleaned up. Then how about grabbing a bite to eat afterward?” Leena asked.

  “Not tonight, Lee,” I replied. “I'm going to stay at my mom's place for the night and make her dinner and then breakfast in the morning. That asshole store manager has her working double shifts this week.”

  “Ugh, that's terrible. She really should be taking things a little easier at her age.”

  “I know, Lee, believe me, I know – but it's tough for her being on her own. Times are hard, and there are bills to pay. My sister helps out when she can, but she's all the way across the country now and has a family of her own to provide for. Mom made a lot of sacrifices for my sister and me, and I gotta do what I can to help her out.”

  “I understand. Well, maybe we can get coffee tomorrow morning if you've got a gap between lectures?”

  “I do. We can do that. C'mon now, let's get showered up and then we'll make plans for tomorrow.”

  *****

  I got out of the taxi and looked up at the front of the familiar building — the one I'd grown up in. It had never been a particularly attractive building, but these days, it was looking shabbier than ever. The plaster was cracked and stained around the corners, but the graffiti on the ground level at least attempted to mask it a bit.

  My senses rose to full alert the moment I stepped out of the taxi; this had never been a great neighborhood, and it had gotten worse over the years. My first priority when I graduated college and started making a salary was going to be to get my mother out of this area.

  I darted up to the entrance of the building and buzzed myself in, then bounded up the familiar flight of stairs until I reached my mom's door. Beyond it was the small, two-bedroom home where my sister and I had grown up, raised by a single mom after our dad walked out on us. I didn’t remember much about him; I'd been a toddler when he left.

  I slid my key in the lock, opened the door, and walked in to the sound of the TV blaring. I saw my mom in front of it on the sofa, still dressed in her work uniform from the supermarket.

  “Hi, Ma,” I called out. There was no reply. “Ma, did you hear me?” I moved a little closer and saw that her eyes were closed; her thin chest was rising up and down in a slow, gentle rhythm.

  I sighed, feeling a stab of pain tear through my chest. “You really are killing yourself. I promise you that it's not always gonna be like this. Somehow, I'm gonna get you out of this cycle. You've spent too long now working yourself to the bone just to scrape by. I don't know how yet, but somehow I'm going to get you out of this situation,” I whispered and leaned down, pulling a blanket up over her sleeping form before gently placing a kiss on her forehead.

  I tiptoed away, so as not to wake her from a nap she no doubt needed after a 12-hour shift, and headed into the kitchen to quietly prepare dinner.

  Life was going to change for us. It had to. I had to make sure of that.

  Chapter Two

  Wade

  I sipped slowly on my beer, relishing every mouthful of the crisp, amber liquid. In the background, over the buzz of conversation and laughter in the bar, the Beach Boys’ “Kokomo” was playing. I let out a soft chuckle as the chorus echoed through the bar. It was appropriate, wasn't it? A perfect tune for my first night back in Florida.

  My miserable, lonely, first night back in Florida.

  I'd moved across the entire country to get away from the mess my life had become in Los Angeles. And boy, what a mess it was.

  It almost seemed like some strange dream I was only beginning to wake up from. How had all of that stuff happened? How had I gone from winning Olympic gold and having a promising career ahead of me – hell, my whole life ahead of me – to becoming involved in…well, a shame spiral of bad decisions and worse relationships.

  It had almost destroyed me.

  Almost.

  But I'd realized what was happening in time to save myself. Call it an epiphany, if you would. And, it had taken ending my relationship with Georgia Jackson for it to happen.

  I'd lost myself, I'd lost everything about myself that was truly me. All for the sake of her — a woman every man on the planet would likely give his left nut to be with for just one night. But fantasizing about a Hollywood A-list actress and actually dating one were two different things entirely, and I’d found that out the hard way. Life was not all glitz and glamour, and those people were, believe it or not, just normal people like everyone else beneath all of the hype.

  They had their flaws, too, as much as we can't or don't want to believe it. I mean, hell, for the longest time, I didn't want to believe it, either. And that forced ignorance on my part had not only blinded me to the type of person Georgia really was, but it had also almost killed me.

  “Would you like another beer, sir?” a gentle, female voice asked from behind me.

  I turned around and saw the young waitress who had brought me a beer earlier waiting with an expectant look on her face.

  “Yeah
, I’ll take another Bud Light, please.”

  She smiled, nodded, and hurried off behind the bar to grab another bottle.

  I smiled, too. I could only assume the tabloids and press weren't as active, or at least as widely read, over on the East Coast as they were on the West. So far, nobody in Tallahassee had recognized me. If they had, they hadn't said anything to my face, at least.

  I was counting that as a win. I had no desire to talk about all the rumors, all the gossip, and all the controversy and allegations surrounding this and that.

  That was my old life, the trap I'd been pulled into, and it was a trap I'd managed to escape.

  Well, I hope I had escaped it. I mean, hell, I packed up everything – my whole damn life to be precise – and left to come here with the hope of starting fresh and living a normal life dedicated to my passion: volleyball.

  It was weird being back in Tallahassee. I hadn't been back since graduation. I'd left immediately and gone straight to the West Coast to play professionally. Most of my friends from my college days had moved elsewhere as well except one: John Robinson. He was why I was even at the bar; I was waiting for him, and he was supposed to have arrived half an hour ago.

  I chuckled when I thought about that; he hadn't changed much in that regard. As the waitress arrived with my second beer, I saw John hurry through the door, looking flustered.

  “Sorry to send you running again, but can you bring me another beer for my friend there?” I asked before she left.

  “Sure thing,” she replied with a smile.

  I watched John make his way toward me. He'd put on a bit of weight since our college days, but was still looking fairly youthful for a 32-year-old. He saw me almost instantly, and a big grin appeared on his face as he rushed over. I stood to greet him and we gave each other a big hug and then chuckled as we sat down together.

  “Jesus H. Christ!” he exclaimed. “You look fantastic, Wade. Just great, man! You been working out?”